THE Last Nurses' Dance in the Red Box on Monday night had absolutely nothing to do with Donie Cassidy, Barry's Hotel or even the Marion Finucane radio programme. Listeners to the show will know all about, last month's argy-bargy over the dance - nurses very reasonably, took umbrage at an event being labelled a nurses dance when apparently hardly any nurses ever went. Donie saw the point and put an end to it (a tremendous relief because it also meant an end to those corny nurses' dance radio ads).
In Dublin's smart new editor John Ryan hijacked the idea for his publication's Christmas party on Monday night and held the Last Nurses' Dance in this week's busiest venue, the Red Box. It wasn't exactly a theme party - no one came dressed, up and there wasn't a thermometer in sight, but the very large new venue was packed with the usual quota of models and artists including Bobby Ballagh, and Terry Bradley who is both an artist and a model.
Also there were Shay Healy, John Ryan's girlfriend Cliona Ni Buchalla, 98FM's Ken Hutton who has just sold his house in the inner suburbs in favour of city-centre, penthouse living, legal man Ercus Stewart and the hippest fashion show producer around, Enda Storey (nee McGrattan - the Storey bit is just for a laugh).
Also there was photographer Barry McCall whose studio has produced the best Christmas card of the year (so far). It features Barry and his team dressed as the characters from Father Ted. Thanks to the work of ultra-fashionable stylist James Mooney and make-up woman Fiona Connon, Barry looks worryingly like Father Jack - which is the sort of terrifying premonition that should have the photographer swearing off drink, girls and bad language for at least the rest of his life.
